Leave Pass
by TheShadeOps
Summary: The 141 are issued six weeks of leave each. Most men decided to go home and relax. Roach decides to stay back and spend the time on base. But Shade has other plans for his friend. - Mild Course Language, Sexual References. - COMPLETE
1. Departure and Arrivals

**Thought of this while both writing up The New Arrivals Ch 8 and reading some other fics. Originally going to be a one-shot. But depending on length and reception, I might develop this into a smaller, 3-4 part series. Please rate and review.**

**Disclaimer - Some infrequent coarse language and mild sexual references. I do not own any official characters of COD and MW. Shade, and family, are OC/s. **

**Enjoy**

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**Leave Pass**

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"Woo hoo!" Meat's voice was uncontained as he ran through the barracks. "Six weeks of leave! Home sweet home!"

"Can it Meat. Some of us have got some packing to do." Royce took this chance to stick a broom out in Meat's path, causing him to fly for five feet before making a hard landing into the cold floor. "Now shut it and pack."

Shade sat in his room, gathering his things. Having been with the 141 for over a year, he'd seen quite a bit of action. There was the operation in Kuwait, where they had to neutralise a gun-dealer who sold the wrong kind of weapons. There was Malaysia, where a terror cell had reared it's ugly head, and then this very base, where Shade had orchestrated a large scale Nerf war. He'd had fun and had done a lot of hard work. But living in western-central area of the USA had taken its toll. Shade was losing some of his tan, and despite the major workload and physical demand, he'd gained a little weight. Most like muscle, but still, a weight gain is a weight gain.

He took a break from his own stuff and walked over to Roach's room. He and Roach had saved each other's lives enough times to become the best of friends. It was to the point where the pair were constantly reading each other's body language. So when Shade noticed Roach just sitting on his bed, reading a magazine, Shade knew something was up.

"Oi, bug, what's with the mags and no packed bags?" Shade jumped onto the end of the bed and leant his back on the wall it was against. Other than Ghost, Shade was the only one who called him 'bug', and was the only one who used it in a non-demeaning manner.

"Not going anywhere mate. Don't have a place to go. No wife, no kids, parents have passed, brother is a peace-freak who hasn't spoken to me since I came home that day with the enlistment papers." Roach had brought this up with Shade a little while ago. When Roach, or Gary was he was known back then, was of suitable age and suitable educational level, he had made a stop on the way home from school. When he arrived, he proudly pulled out a partially filled set of enlistment papers to the British Army. It was no secret that Gary wanted to be a soldier. His parents were ok with it, only because Gary was committed to doing his dream job. His brother, a few years older, had other views. He'd been old enough to remember the 2001 9/11 attacks, and the news reports regarding the invasions of Iraq, Afghanistan and the Middle East as a whole. The news articles that stimulated Roach's interest and passion of the military were the same ones that cemented Michael's hatred of war and the military. So, that fateful day when Roach picked up and filled the forms out with his parents was the day that Gary Sanderson no longer existed in Michael Sanderson's life.

They had only seen each other twice after that, at each of their parent's funerals, and they never said a word to each other about each other's life since that day. Roach had no idea where Michael was, what he did, or how he was. But, it wasn't time to dwell on the past. Shade saw the displeasure of the idea about staying back, so he quickly formed an idea.

"Gary," Shade and Roach had an agreement where they would only use each other's real names if it was serious or life and death. "I want you to come to Australia with me. You can't stay here for the rest of your life. You gotta get out, spend some time away, even if it is only six weeks. When's the next leave segment going to be anyway?" Roach was thinking about this, too long. He didn't get to say a work when Shade answered for him. "Great, now get packing. Our flight leaves for LA tomorrow morning, then it's direct to Brisbane."

_After a 14 hour flight..._

"Name, and reason for visit?" The Australian Customs Officer was quick and to the point with her questions.

"Thomas Williams, and I'm on leave from my unit. Decided to take the leave and come home." Shade said this with a smile as he handed over his Australian passport. The Customs officer gave a curious glance towards Shade.

"Yeah? Are you serving with the ADF in Afghanistan?" The officer was referring to the Australian Defence Force.

"Ex-ADF. I got transferred out. I can't say much around here, but let's just say I moved up a step from SOCOMD." Shade left the officer with a smirk on his face. He was after Roach, who had a little issue in Quarantine when he tried to bring some MREs in his baggage. But that was cleared up now, and it was a clear route onwards. Shade's phone, his Australian phone, started to ring. His ringtone was 'Rise', a song used in an Australian Army recruiting campaign when Shade was first a recruit to the ADF. While he didn't mind that it was a song to get men into the Army, he admitted that the tune itself was inspiring. Roach had to agree, it was inspiring.

"William's here. Oh hey Mum. Yea, just got in. I forgot to mention I brought a mate with me. Nah, he's a mate from work. Where are you? Oh, I'll keep an eye out for you and the gang then. 'Aight. See ya soon Mum." Roach was stunned. He'd never heard Shade, or Rook for that matter, speak like that. Sure, Shade incorporated a bit of Aussie English into the conversations he had with Rook, but despite them both being Aussie's, they had different accents. Shade explained that he was a Queenslander from the East Coast, while Rook was from Victoria, a southern state. They apparently had slightly different accents and mannerisims.

"So, Shade, was that your Mother?" Roach just had to confirm it. "And why is she part of a gang?"

"Oh, Roach, you mis-understood. By gang, I mean family. Just that the way we act around each other, we would be considered a gang. Nothing negative though."

"One last thing, why'd you refer to the 141 as 'work'?"

"Well," Shade began, still walking towards the exit. "Like most of us elites, we need to keep secrets. I can't tell Mum that I'm a top of the line special operations soldier who can kick a terrorist's ass from here to kingdom come and back. She knows I was a 2CDO, and knew I was transferred. But she just thinks I'm consulting for the Para's. That's what I told her while I was packing. I had planned on bringing you with anyway. And the Para's were where you were poached from."

"Makes sense. But what happens if you were k-?" Roach got cut off as Shade was attacked by a person who at that moment had been running and jumped into Shade's arms. Roach was about to beat the person up until Shade wrapped his arms around him. Around _her_ to be precise. A mop of long black hair was hanging over the back of the assailant, and was slightly shaking.

"Jessie! Never do that to me again! You do remember what I do for a living, right sis?" This remark caught Roach off guard, but allowed him to relax.

"Oh, I forgot about that Tommy," the woman said as she climbed off of Shade. "Just that I haven't seen you in ages!" Her face lit up, blue eyes piercing Shade's face, big smile erupting from her lips. "How long has it been, three, four years now?"

"Three years, 2 months, eleven days. And I've missed you every single minute." Shade picked her up again, hugging her deeply. "Jessie, this is my mate, Gary. Gary, this is Jess, my little sister."

"Well, nice to me- " Roach was cut off once again as this time the woman attacked him. "Gah, that the normal way to greet a stranger down here?" Roach's accent froze Jessie where she was.

"Tom! You said you were bring a friend down here. You never mentioned anything about him being a Brit," exclaimed Jessie, jumping off of Roach. "And a _sexy_ Brit at that." Roach suddenly blushed at this remark, as Jessie looked at him from head to toe. Apparently Shade must have left a few details out.

"Jess, calm down. I don't want you freaking out and going mental just yet. Yes, Gary is British. But he also does the same kind of work as me. So he'd appreciate it if you didn't jump on him or do anything that might set off his killer reflexes. His right hook will remind you if you do forget." Shade laughed, pulling his sister under his arm.

_Oh boy, what have I gotten myself into..._

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**I wanted Shade to feel straight at home as soon as he got into the airport. His actions here will probably be different from any other fics I might write with him involved. Rate, Review (It'll help me follow the story up) and check out "The New Arrivals". That's Shade's debut and intro.**


	2. Welcome Wagon

**Sorry about the huge gap between posts. School has been taking its toll on my time and writing ability. However, got this piece out during a study break.**

**Enjoy.**

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The drive from Brisbane International to the William Family house in the northern suburbs was somewhat eventful. It was during this ride where Roach had been introduced to part of Shade's family.

He had already met Jessie, Shade's younger sister who had just finished high school and was going to University. She had aspirations of joining the military, just like her brother. That was until she got introduced into the world of IT and computers. She was on the fast track now to attend Uni on a full IT course. But from her appearance, you would think that IT would be the last thing she would do. Jessie had long black hair, was slightly shorter than Shade, moderately tanned skin and had a near perfect figure. It was a guy's dream as far as looks were concerned.

There was also Shade's younger brother, James. He was the middle child. A die-hard gamer, James had spent his time at high school maintaining a solid B average. He didn't stand out from the crowd, but wasn't completely useless. James didn't go to Uni, and instead got a job at the gaming store in the nearby shopping centre. Outside of work, he'd be playing his various gaming consoles with his mates online, or out and about playing Paintball. He was what they called an active gamer. He didn't spend his entire life in front of a screen. He was slightly taller than Shade, but had shaggy brown hair and lightly tanned skin. He had a thinner frame than Shade, due to the drastic differences in physical activity between the two brothers.

Then there was Shade's mother, Alice. Whilst she was fairly old, approaching fifty five years old, she maintained the looks of a forty year old. Much shorter than her children, she was blond and had a typical mother's body frame. Roach hadn't managed to decipher Alice much, as she was too busy fussing about Shade. There was no sight of his father yet, though. Maybe he wasn't able to make it.

"So Tom, how many times you get shot?" James's question while on the highway home had caught the entire family off guard.  
"James Liam Williams! That is an inappropriate question to ask your brother!" Alice exclaimed from the back seat of the car. James was driving; Shade was in the front passenger seat. Roach and Jessie were on opposite sides of the back seat with Alice in between them. "It is none of your business to need to know about that."

"Well Mum, I won't lie, but I was shot." Shade spoke up. This drew shocked looks from James, Alice and Jessie. Roach however started to smile a bit. "Roach hit me matter of fact. We're in the base right, and all hell's broken loose. Roach is on a rooftop with Archer providing support to Scarecrow and I on the ground. Roach sees me come around a corner and panics, firing his gun. The round got me square in the face." Alice was on the verge of tears when Roach started laughing.

"Yeah, and you deserved it for flipping me the bird when I stole your magazines." Roach said.

"Whatever. I tell you what Mum. Nerf darts sting like a bitch." Shade finished that off with a laugh, with James and Jessie following suit. They had caught on to what Shade had said. Roach had shot him in the face with a Nerf gun as payback for Shade's response to Roach's theft of his Hustler magazines. "I've yet to get them get them, and you for that matter, back."

Alice just sat there, taking a while to realise what had been said. When it did finally sink in, she started to laugh as well. She'd witness the times when Shade, James and Jessie all had small Nerf wars inside and outside the house, darks flying everywhere. It got to the point where they'd buy massive amounts of them and hold monthly wars in the local park with all their friends.

They finally arrived home from the airport, and the memories started to flood back to Shade. Roach took in the neighbourhood, looking at it in both an admiring and analytical sense. Their house was a two level building, at the end of the street. The front of the house faced south towards the entrance of the street, with a garden off to the left. Roach also noted the high amount of parked cars around. Shade however failed to realise this, as he was just taken back at how his old home looked.

"Tom! Get your ass out here son!" A voice called from behind the house. It was that of an older man, most likely his father. As the two soldiers, the mother, and two siblings walked through the garage onto the back deck, they were swarmed by cheers, shouts, and general celebration. Howard Williams, Shade's father, had invited the entire extended family on both sides to their place for a surprise welcoming committee.

_Well, Shade's family is welcoming. I might just like it here..._


	3. Day 2

_So much pain we  
Don't know how to be but angry  
Feel infected like we've got gangrene  
Please don't let anybody try to change me!_

The lyrics flowed into Shade's head as he continued his morning run. One of the advantages of being back home was that the air was thicker and had higher oxygen content. The terrain was also a greater challenge, with shallow but long hills and paths that wound through streets and bush land.

_The base drumming is the anthem.  
We step to the heartbeats of our granddaughters and grandsons and  
Rise together we  
Rise together we  
Rise together we  
Rise together we..._

The drum beat and bass guitar in this song helped him set a pace while he walked a section to recover from an uphill sprint. He didn't mind the anti-governmental and protest style lyrics. Tom didn't look for much in lyrics. He just graded on the song on how it set his mood, put him in a rhythm while doing something, or how it sounded in general. He found this particular song to put him into a mood where he just wanted to get shit done.

Roach was lagging behind Shade as he was led on an unusually tough track. For a well trained soldier who could defuse bombs and fight endless waves of enemies, he was struggling on a morning run. Well, maybe the effects from his moderate hangover did not make things easier, but the track itself was tough. He jumped at the chance to go on a run with him this morning, as they both were fighting hangovers, but Shade looked like he was taking it much easier.

"Shade! Wait up!" Roach shouted, out of breath. Shade stopped, jogging in place while he waited for his companion. "How are you still alive?!" Roach took this chance to collapse onto the ground, expelling the contents of his stomach onto the grass beside the concrete.

"Maybe you shouldn't have come for a run just yet. It might be the hangover, or it could be the higher O2 concentration in the air. This isn't the desert back in the States you know." Shade said, stopping finally to help his companion up. He pulled out a small bottle of water he had stowed in his Camelbak. "I had a feeling this, or something like it, would happen this morning. Wash your mouth out and take a few sips. You've just gotta get used to the environment."

"You know, chances are that you're right." Roach said after cleaning his mouth of regurgitated alcohol." After stowing the bottle back in Shade's pack, he looked at the mess he made. Following the grass up, he focused onto the house that the patch of grass belonged to. "Uh, Shade, got another bottle? I'd like to clean this up before the owner sees this."

"Dude, relax. That place is a party house. It wouldn't be a surprise." Shade head off to continue his run, leaving Roach to stand there alone. Roach took a final look at the house, and then set off after Shade.

After the pair had returned home, showered, and ate breakfast, they head out to the city. Shade had planned to meet some of his mates at a cafe along the river, and dragged Roach along. When they finally reached the city, Roach just sat in the car amazed. In Roach's opinion, Brisbane looked amazing. Vibrant, diverse, yet strangely intimidating. Posters were up, informing the public of an event happening later that night.

"Hey Shade, what's Riverfire?" Roach asked, after seeing the tenth poster advertising the same event. "They setting the river alight or something?"

"Well, figuratively, yes. It's been a major event for the last fifteen years now. And every year, it's been getting bigger." Shade explained. "Riverfire is part of Riverfestival, a weeklong festival held along banks of the river, mostly at South Bank. Riverfire is the opening ceremony, and is a huge fireworks display lasting half an hour. Fireworks go off from the banks, the bridges and the river itself, and the reflection from the water gives it the impression that it's on fire."

"So, what's so big and important about this Riverfire then?"

"Well, the Army and Air Force get to do some kick-ass displays. They key event was the F-111C's Dump and Burn flyover, where'd they dump fuel behind the engines and ignite it with their afterburners. The resulting flame is roughly 30m in length. That's roughly 100 feet." Roach did a spittake as soon as he heard that.

"Fuck! That must have been impressive to watch."

"Especially when they have two at the same time. It's like someone just turned the sun back on. Hey, we're here." Shade pulled into a parking space on the side of the road and cut the engine. The second he hit the pavement, he was ambushed yet again by a runner. Only this time, Roach wasn't about to snap their neck. "Hey Kim! Glad to see you too."

"Tom, my god I missed you." The woman who had ambushed Shade stood back and fixed up her hair. "It's been ages!" Kim then shifted her focus onto Roach, dressed in a T-shirt and MTP cargo pants. "And who's this guy?"

"This is my good friend Gary. We call him Roach at work."

"And why's that?"

"Well, he tried killing one stuck behind the fridge in the break room on base, but it got the better of him." Kim laughed loudly at that. Gary looked confused until Shade pulled him aside.

"Do you want me to say that you're just as hard to kill? They don't know I'm 141 either." Roach relaxed and followed Shade into the cafe with his friends.

_I'm looking forward to this Riverfire. Still can't figure it out..._

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**Musical influences:**

**Song 1 - Rise by Flotbots.**  
**Song 2 - Given Up by Linkin Park**


	4. Riverfire

Roach, Shade, Kim, and more of Shade's friends were on the rooftop of a mid-rise apartment building with a crowd of other people who were there. The main display was about to commence in fifteen minutes, and already Roach was amazed at the spectacle. A few hours ago, an F/A-18F Rhino made a few passes at high and low speed. An hour after that, two Blackhawks and a Tiger made a circuit around South Bank, the Tiger stopping to do some hover manoeuvres over the Brisbane River. Between the flyovers, Shade had shown Roach some clips from past Riverfire displays, mostly those with the F-111 and its signature dump and burn. And Roach was impressed. Only the Australians would use shoot a 100ft flame out the back of a fighter-bomber over a crowded city at low level, just for some firework display.

Then again, it was quite a spectacular sight from what he saw. He looked around, and looked at Shade's friends. There was Kim, Shade's closest friend from their time in high school. They both said to Roach that they hadn't dated, but Roach knew to read between the lines. Sure, they didn't date, but they did something. Then there was Carl, Shade's other closest friend. They'd known each other since the start of primary school, and hadn't left each other's side until Shade joined the Army. You could not separate the pair of them, even if you tried. Roach looked to the others. Jeremy, Shade's mate from the Army, lent against a low wall away from the edge. He was taking the weight off his prosthetic leg, which replaced a leg he lost in Afghanistan while on deployment with Shade in the 2nd Commandos. Shade had dragged Jeremy back from a wrecked LRPV after it hit a twin-IED strike. Unfortunately, their patrol leader was killed in the same blast. Jeremy had lost his leg from just below the knee, and was working as a communications specialist in the reserves.

The last of Shade's friends, Stephanie, was somewhat puzzling to Roach. He couldn't get a read on her. She'd met Shade in high school, but they weren't exactly close. However, they seemed affectionate to each other. He hadn't been able to figure out why, mostly because when he asked, Shade dodged the subject. And Steph wasn't the easiest to approach when she was by herself.

"Gaz, mate, display's about to start, get up front. You do NOT want to miss a bit of this!" Shade's shout brought Roach back to reality. Shade moved to crank the radio to max, the station it was tuned to was broadcasting a simulcast soundtrack to the fireworks, something they did every year.

The first pyrotechnics set off were on the Story Bridge, up at the top. The chain followed down the crest on each side, finishing in two seconds. Then the entire river lit up. Charge boxes on the river bank and barges on the river spewed out a mix of fireworks. Some climbed to high altitude and burst into huge balls of sparks. Others left smoke and spark trails in their path, only travelling a short distance from the launcher. Then lasers set up on the bank lit up, cutting through the smoke left by the fireworks. More fireworks flew up from the banks and bridges. The entire sky was engulfed in the colour of the fireworks and pyrotechnics. Then it went dark.

A dramatic, action movie sounding track played on the radio. Then a voice came through.

"Brisbane Central, this is Rhino Flight. We are thirty seconds from target, preparing for run."  
"Roger that Rhino Flight, Central copies all, airspace is clear. Good for run." Roach tried to decipher what exactly was going on. To him, it sounded like something that an air traffic controller would say to an aircraft. He turned to ask Shade about it, but Shade's face was that of a small child in a confectionary store. His eyes were wide and glazed, focused on the sky. A countdown started on the radio, the music slowly building up. In the distance, the sound of jet engines grew louder.

The count reached Zero, and a pair of F/A-18F Rhino fighter jets flew at each other, flying along the river. They crossed, and as they passed each other, they dropped a long string of IR decoy flares. Each string lit up each end of the river, and the river bank below. Applause, cheers and yelling erupted from the crowds below as each fighter circled around and dropped another string. The pair formed up and climbed at full afterburner, their display run complete. The fireworks recommenced at a much higher intensity, and finally finished roughly an hour after they started. Roach had never seen such a display in his life. Sure, they had Guy Fawkes Night back home, and they had the Red Arrows, but nothing like this.

Shade and his group of friends retreated downstairs back to the apartment they had rented for the night. There were three rooms, one of them with a double bed. A thought passed through Roach's mind that Shade and Kim would be staying in there tonight. Jeremy and Steph took the remaining rooms, leaving Roach out on the couch. It didn't mind him though. The couch was probably more comfortable than lying on a foam mat half an inch thick in the damp rainforest. He set up his sleeping gear, and switched the TV on.

The TV broadcast of the display had ended, and the channel reverted back to normal programming. The first show to come on was one that Shade had mentioned back at base. It was a police action-drama, called Rush. It followed members of a tactical response team down in Melbourne, and followed their lives on the job. Roach took note of how the actors handled their weapons and cleared rooms. Unsurprisingly, he drew many parallels to their tactics and the tactics the 141 were trained to use.

The show was halfway through, and the team were chasing down a man who had just hit and run a small family whilst on a getaway from an armed robbery. Roach was completely hooked as the officers in the second car positioned themselves to be driving on a parallel road to the suspect. As the suspect turned right, the second police car cut them off, officers jumping out with guns drawn. Roach jumped as Steph sat down beside him, also wrapped up in the episode.

"You know, Shade likes this show." Steph said quietly.

"I know, it's one of the many things he talks about on base."

"He must be quite the novelty. A lone Australian commando in the middle of an army of Brits."

"It has its moments. So, how exactly do you two know each other? I mean, it's clear with his other friends, but I can't figure out the bond between him and you."

"It's not something I really tell a lot of people. Only I, he and our parents know."

"It can't be that bad."

"Ok. It was the second last week of high school. And things had become haywire for our year level. Graduation and Formal was creeping around the corner, marks were coming in, and groups of friends were close to being broken. I remember on the Wednesday, we finished early and I had decided to drive my car home. He had walked. We didn't hang out much back then, and he preferred to walk. Liked the exercise I guessed."

"Then how come you hang out with him so much now?"

"It's because of what happened after. I've turned into a road that I normally take to get home. As I make my way down, a cat or something crosses in front of me. I swerve to avoid it, but in doing so, I jumped the gutter and flipped down the hillside to an empty patch of land. It was a good twenty metre roll, as the road was situated on a hillside. By the time it stopped, I was completely unconscious."

"Shit."

"Shit's right. I woke up on the roadside, being tended to by paramedics. As I was being wheeled into the ambulance, I saw Tom sitting on the back tailgate of a police four-wheel drive. He was also being tended to by a paramedic. I was told later in the hospital by police officers that he had walked past the scene and had seen my overturned car. He climbed down and pulled me out. I received a few broken ribs, busted leg and a badly bruised face; he earned a few cuts and scrapes from the bushes and broken glass. It could have been much worse though."

They spent the next half hour talking and sharing stories. Roach shared a few times where Shade had saved his life and others where he had saved Shade's. They found themselves falling asleep on the couch, but didn't think much of it.

_Hmm, life down here isn't as I had thought. I'm glad I came down here._


	5. The Game

**Just a content advisory about this chapter. It contains a part that is sensitive in nature. If you have objections towards abuse of any kind, I advise that you do not continue reading this chapter. I won't say what it is, in order to prevent spoilers, but in no way do any of the main characters take part in perpetrating the abuse. Read at your own risk.**

**- TheShadeOps**

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A week had passed since Riverfire, and Roach had to say that this was the best time he's ever had on leave. He'd seen an amazing fireworks show held in the city centre, been on some of the craziest rides at Dreamworld theme park, and now was with Shade to see a match of AFL, or more commonly known as Aussie Rules. Whilst on the train, Shade had given him a rundown of the rules, and it seemed simple enough.

The game is played with 18 players per side on a cricket oval, with four posts at each end. To score, you must kick a football, similar in shape to an NFL ball, through the middle two posts. That gives the kicker's team 6 points. It if goes through the side posts or hits the middle posts, its one point, called a behind. There are two ways of passing the ball, and that's either kicking or "handballing" it, which is an underhand punch of the ball. A player can maintain the ball for however long he wants, but when he's moving, he's got to bounce the ball every ten metres.

If a kicked ball is caught, and the kick has to be more than fifteen metres, the player can take a free kick within 5 seconds; otherwise he's clear to be tackled. If the catch is made within fifty metres of the goal posts, the player can take a free shot at goal. There's also no offside, so the players can roam around on the field. The game also lasted eighty minutes, split into twenty-minute quarters.

The rules all sounded simple to follow, but really didn't make an impression on Roach. He thought the game would be slow, but was willing to see what all the fuss was about. They were in the stands of the Brisbane Cricket Ground, also known as The Gabba, and were five minutes from starting game play. It was a home match for the Brisbane Lions, playing against their arch rivals, the Sydney Swans. It was common for Shade's home state, Queensland, to have a rivalry with any and all sports teams of the state below them, New South Wales. It had even got to the point where there was a three game rugby series between the two states, called State of Origin. Shade had shown him a few matches from the previous season, and it was intense.

The teams ran out onto the field, and took their positions. Roach's jaw nearly dropped when he looked at what the players wore. The standard attire was a singlet and shorts as the team's jersey, and a pair of boots. Players had mouthguards, but that was the only real piece of protective equipment that they used. Roach was prepared for the bloodbath to commence.

The horn sounded, and the ball was bounced up by the ref in the centre. The midfielders, the tall players on most teams, jumped up at least six feet into the air, off other player's backs, to knock the ball to their teammates. Brisbane got the first possession, and the receiving player kicked it to his mates near the goals. A Lions player jumped off the back of a Sydney player and caught the ball, who then passed it to another player, who then booted it to a player within fifty meters of the goal.

The crowd cheered as the player, number 16, fought off three Swans and managed to take the ball in his chest. Shade cried out as the man, Jonathan Brown, was knocked to the ground after he took the ball. He had made the catch, and was given the kick. The ball came off his boot, and flew between the middle posts. The entire crown screamed, and the noise nearly deafened Roach.

By the end of the game, Roach had seen boots dig into backs, players collide into each other whilst running at full sprint, goals scored, and one player taken off the field unconscious. Brisbane had lost the match, 80 to 92, but had played a hell of a game regardless. Roach still couldn't believe how little gear they all wore. Surely, they'd have worn some protective kit, but then, that would take the fun out of it.

"Hey Shade, you ever tried playing AFL?" Roach asked Shade as they walked towards the train station to get back home.

"I've tried, but never really was good at it. I was kinda hopeless at sport when I was younger, mainly because no-one thought I was decent. It were those thoughts that led me to getting the least amount of time with the ball." Shade said, reflecting on his past.

"We should bring the game back to the guys in the TF." Roach said, with a slight sinister touch to his voice.

"And give Ghost another way to hurt us? I can't imagine Ghost or the bigger guys in the TF playing a contact sport like that. But, it's worth a shot." Shade laughed with that statement. "Hey, I never got to ask you, what happened between you and Steph back after Riverfire? I noticed you two were sleeping on the couch together."

"Nothing really, I stayed up to watch some TV, she woke up and joined me. We talked, mainly about how you saved her life, and we just fell asleep after a while. Nothing else." Roach became slightly defensive at the end of his statement, although he didn't realise it.

"Oh, so nothing else happened then?" Shade began prodding, a smile broadening on his face. A scream rang out from a nearby alleyway, causing both the soldier's heads to snap towards it. They sprinted across and ran into the alley. There was a group of men in a circle, a young woman their target. She was in a bad way already, clothes tattered and stained, face bruising. Immediately, both Shade and Roach knew what they intended to do, and turned from sports supporters to SF soldiers. Neither of them made a noise as they crept towards the group. Shade picked up a small bar from the ground as Roach readied a scarf with some improvised weights tied into the end of it, turning it into a flail-like weapon.

"HEY! GET THE FUCK OFF HER!" Shade's scream caught the lead man off guard as Roach slung the scarf into his head, knocking him cold. Roach recovered the scarf and maintained its spin, catching another man in the neck and dropping him to the ground. Shade jabbed the bar into a third man's solar plexus, winding him. He whipped the bar around like a staff and brought it down on the fourth man's shoulder, the sound of bone breaking filling the air. The last two men quickly raised their hands in surrender and stepped to the edge of the alleyway.

"Roach, grab help, I'll get these men ready for the police." With that, Shade started dragging the injured and unconscious men to the wall, sitting them up and laying them down along it. With his and Roach's scarves, he tied their hands behind their backs, restraining them. He looked to the woman, who at this point had cowered behind an industrial bin while the scene erupted. "Hey, are you ok ma'am? Don't worry; my friend and I aren't going to hurt you."

She slowly moved forward, and nearly stumbled as she stood up. Shade caught her, and helped her out of the alley way and sat her down on the sidewalk. In the light, Shade could see that she was much worse. She had a cut along her left cheek, bruising on both her eyes, more abrasions along her arms and legs, and torn up clothes. Shade realised that both he and Roach could not have timed their arrival better. Any later and they wouldn't have been able to prevent the worst.

"Shade! Police and medics are on their way. There's only a station a block away from here, so they're gonna be here any second from now." As Roach said that, sirens and flashing lights filled the street as officers and paramedics descended on the scene. Shade pulled an officer and paramedic aside.

"Ok, we have six men in there. Two are unconscious with blows to the head and neck. One is winded; the other has a broken shoulder. The remaining two gave up peacefully. All of them have been restrained. They were about to rape this young woman here. From what I can gather, physical injuries are minor to moderate, but I'm worried about her mental state."

"And you two?" The officer asked.

"He and I are soldiers; we heard the screams not too long ago and ran over here to investigate. Any longer and we'd have been too late. If you need us to make a statement, we'll do so." He looked to Roach, who was sitting with the woman. She was being tended to by another paramedic. Upon seeing Shade's look, he nodded towards the officer.

"Well, that's good to hear. Was there anyone else around that saw this?" Shade didn't think about that up until now. Shit, if there were no other witnesses, we could be done up for grievous bodily harm and assault charges.

"I'm not sure sir, there weren't that many people around when we got here. Gary, you see anything mate?"

"Uh, there were a few people down at the end of the block when we ran in, but I haven't seen them since. What about CCTV? You guys got cameras around here?"

The officer shrugged, and thanked the men for what they did. The men were being led out in handcuffs and on stretchers. The ones that gave up and were not hurt by the two soldiers were led into two separate patrol cars and driven away. The woman was being assisted into an ambulance, and was about to be driven away.

"Hey, I know the rules are family only, but can I and my friend come along? I want to make sure she's fine." The paramedic thought about this for a second, and agreed.

"You can ride in the back with me; your friend can ride in the front with the driver." With that, Shade and Roach climbed into the ambulance and were driven off to the Royal Brisbane Hospital. Roach called Shade's home with his mobile to let them know they'd be home late.

"Williams's residence, Jessica here." Shade's sister picked up the phone, and sounded tired.

"Jess, it's Gary. Tom's friend."

"Oh, hey Gary. Something up?" Her voice picked up upon learning that it was Roach.

"Uh, yea. He and I stepped in and stopped a rape from happening. We're in the ambulance now with the woman. Tom wanted to make sure she would be fine before we left to come home. Let your parents know so they aren't waiting for us at the station. We'll most likely catch a taxi home." Roach said, with a serious tone of voice.

"Oh my god! Is she ok?" Jessica's voice rose as the shock of what he just said set in.

"She looks fine, but I'm no doctor. We'll find out when we get to the hospital."

"Well, do what you need to do, and I'll do what I need to. Tell Tom that he's a bloody hero. Stay safe boys."

"Thanks, will do. Night." With that, Roach hung up his mobile phone.

_Fuck me... What a night. Watching a sport where people nearly killed each other, then stepping in and saving a life afterwards. I can't even imagine what would have happened if we weren't there._

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**A/N - I apologise if I triggered anyone in this chapter. I wanted to show Shade in a sort of true-hero way, and thought this might be a way that would be hard hitting to the character. Btw, if anyone wants to check out AFL, there are videos on YT that have highlights from many many games. It's a hell of a sport. I doubt my written version does the game justice.**


	6. Confessions

The next morning, Shade and Roach found themselves standing in the living room of the William's house. Alice, Howard, Jessica and James were sitting down on the lounges. They had been discussing the events of the night before, brought on as the news provided coverage on the story.

_... The young woman only recalled that two unnamed men came to her rescue before the ordeal became any worse. A police spokesperson stated that they are withholding the names of the men for security reasons as the men are active duty military personnel. They did say however that they have notified their unit and offered their since thanks for step..._

"So," started Alice, turning off the TV as the story changed. "She looks fine, will she be alright? The doctor's said she'll be alright?"

"Yes Mum, they said that physically, she'd be fine. But they're worried about her coming down with PTSD. It is quite an ordeal, after all." Shade said, still standing.

"Tom, if you don't mind me asking something, and it's going to seem ridiculous," said James, a quizzical look on his face. "I saw some of the injuries on the bastards that tried to get her, and they looked like guys from SEAL Team Six had busted them. I know you were a Commando, but after months of consulting and training with the Brits over there, I thought you might have lost your touch. How did you manage to do that to them?"

"Hmm, that's interesting James. Son, how did you manage to inflict that much damage to them and still leave them alive?" Howard asked, also wanting to know.

Shade was instantly concerned. He knew that his family didn't know that he was now in Task Force 141. To them, he was just helping train up the British Special Forces teams in specialist tactics developed in Australia. He didn't tell them because they were worried enough when he was a Commando, and he didn't tell them because he just couldn't tell them. But, now the proverbial cat was out of the bag.

"Look, Mum, Dad, there's something I haven't been telling you." Shade prepared himself for this. He knew it was bound to happen, just when exactly was what he didn't known. "And I shouldn't be telling you this, but it's tearing me up inside. Mum, Dad, Jess, James. I'm still in the Special Forces."

The rest of the William's family just sat there, no real change in expression. Shade continued.

"Before my time as a Commando was up, I was approached by a General in the United States Army. He had seen my career portfolio and saw that I had potential as a higher tier operator."

"What do you mean higher tier?" Jessica asked.

"Well, there are different tiers of classification for a special forces unit. Groups like the SASR and SEALs are considered Tier 1. Commandos, and people below them are classed as Tier 2. This General was recruiting me for a Tier 0 group. The best of the best, as he called it."

"I was given the choice to continue my Commando career, or go with him to the States and join his unit. I took his offer. I couldn't tell you this because of security issues, so the General helped me falsify my reason for leaving. My alibi, as you will, was that I was called over to the United Kingdom to help train their Commando teams and consult with them. The trip was to last a few years. That's why I left. I was actually going to the 141."

"Then, who's Gary? He's British, isn't he?" Asked Jessica, now looking to Roach.

"Well, you're right there lass," Roach said, stepping forward. "But I'm not a Commando, like your brother here. I'm also 141, formerly of the SAS. I was recruited before Shade here was, but since he arrived, we've been like best friends. To be honest, everyone in the task force is best friends. We have to be. We only get leave like this every six to eight months, sometimes even a year."

"Wait, if you get leave, why haven't you come back?" asked Alice, a hint of anger coming through her voice. She was starting to get visibly upset.

"It's because the leave periods are usually after the really tough missions, and I take that time to just rest and relax at the base. It's not like I'm actively trying to avoid you guys. But, now you know."

"Tom, mind if I ask you a few things about the 141? Wait, I'm just going to say a few names. Let me know if you or the 141 were involved with them." James piped up.

"Ok, fire away. But NONE of this leaves this room, understand?"

"Um, Lei Castillo, that Mexican terror cell leader found dead in his pool, of a heart attack?"

"That was us. Interrogation lead to giving us details on arms and explosive shipments headed into the US. The heart attack was legit, it came on after we left, and apparently the shock of the ordeal led him into a panic attack. Luckily, the autopsy reports they did didn't show what we did to him."

"Ok. What about Andrei Lopetov?"

"The hostage taker that shot children during the massive siege in Moscow? That was Archer, our team's sniper. He was called to assist the FSB in taking him down. Left our base, and came back a day later, not allowing for flight time. Credit for the shot was given to a Spetznaz sniper though.

"Kheil Targus?"

"Sadistic bastard who led a rebellion in South Africa, setting off IEDs at schools? That was me, personally. I took him out with a burst from my rifle. The fucker was running away after we tracked him down in Mozambique. Cover story was that he ran into some unfriendly militia while there. Still holds tight to this day."

"Osama Bin Laden?"

"That was really SEAL Team 6. They executed the plan. But a few of our guys helped generate the plan. CIA was on a snag with the exact details of the topography of their path in and out of Pakistan. A few of our boys went and did some recon for them. It was before my time though."

"So, what I'm gathering is that the 141 are going after the major threats in today's world?" Howard sat up straighter, taking in all the detail.

Shade sighed. "That's pretty much it Dad. If we aren't chasing down a terrorist leader, or saving lives, or fighting off a rebellion, we're at base, keeping up to date with training and rest. However, we do have time to mess around. So we are still humans Dad."

Shade sat down, with a massive weight having been lifted from his shoulders.

"So, all this time you've been lying to us?" Alice spoke up, voice starting to break.

"To put it bluntly, yes."

"You've been putting yourself at risk, facing death every day nearly everywhere in the world, all the while telling us you were safe and sound in an army base in the UK?"

"Yes."

"Thomas Williams. I'm proud of you." The remark his mother made caught Shade completely off guard. He had been lying to his family for the last three years, nearly died a few times, and they were proud of him? "I never could have imagined you sitting at a desk job after being a commando. I was willing to accept you dying, just as long as you were doing what you loved."

"Thanks Mum. To be honest, I don't know what to say. One side of me is happy that you know what I do for a living now, the other is confused that you've taken the news well." Saying this, Shade stepped forward from his seat and embraced his mother. He had to bend his knees to match her height, a running joke ever since he was fifteen years old, in order to hug her.

"So, is that my brother is still a major league ass-kicker?" asked James.

"Pretty much," answered Jessica, jumping up to join the hug. "As long as he remembers that he's our major league ass-kicker."

_If I tried that with my parents, they'd have my neck._


	7. Returns and Withdrawals

The remaining weeks of leave had flown by fast. Since the beginning of the trip, Shade had taken Roach to see a number of places and do a number of things. He'd seen where Shade had grown up, had seen Riverfire and the fireworks show, watched a game of AFL, experienced a spring-time swell at the beaches, run amok at the major theme parks at the Gold Coast, and nearly lost his return ticket fare at the casinos.

Now, the two men were walking down the gangway in the departures terminal of Brisbane International, boarding their return flight home. Roach thoroughly enjoyed his stay in Australia. The people were brilliant, the food was great, the experience awesome overall. He made a note to take leave here again and maybe move here when he retired. He sat down in his seat and pulled out a book to read while the remaining people boarded.

Shade had maintained a level composure throughout the entire last day. He kept strong while his mother cried in the departure terminal before boarding was called. His father had been shaky when he gave him a farewell hug. His brother, who had taken the day off work to be there, also was upset at the farewell. But his sister, well, she was just as emotional as their mother. She wouldn't let him go after she hugged him, even after the boarding call had been make. Roach almost had to pry him out. But, Shade stayed strong.

As the aircraft left the ground, Shade finally cracked. Tears started flowing slowly, as he quietly sobbed. Leaving home after being away for so long was always hard on a soldier, even harder for those who couldn't tell their loved ones what they did for a living. Shade had called Soap, who was on leave back in Scotland, and informed him of what transpired. Needless to say, he wasn't impressed. But then, the Captain's parents had died a while ago, and hadn't known what he did as a job. Soap admitted that he regret not telling them, as he probably left them worried sick.

Roach noticed Shade after the first few minutes, and was dumbstruck with what to say. He'd never seen Shade like this before.

"Hey, Shade mate. Look, it sucks having to leave. But think about it, at least they know you are alive and that you are doing what you do best. They'll be worried, regardless, but at least they'll have solace in the fact that they know what you do. Better for them to know what you do, and fret about that, than have no idea of where and what you ARE doing, and have them think of all kinds of problems." Shade sniffed, and looked at Roach.

"You know, that actually makes sense." Shade dabbed at a few tears, and regained himself. "As long as they know that I'm happy, that's what matters."

The flight had taken forever, and the pair were the last to arrive back to base. Meat and Royce had travelled to Thailand, where they had a similar experience to the one in The Hangover 2. Rook had spent his time in Australia too, but was in Perth, his hometown. His experience was quiet, and was just spent with family. Archer and Toad had gone hunting down in southern USA, whilst Ghost had gone north to Canada and spent time there. The others had done their own thing, and were sharing stories.

"...so Royce looks at me, and I nearly shit myself laughing. He's gone and gotten himself a tattoo on his neck in Thai. He said to me that is said 'Royce the Brave', but I tell him it says 'Deliveries on Tuesdays'..." Royce slapped Meat on the back of the head, then berated him for not teaching him Thai.

"Yeah, but that's not as funny as what happened to Toad down south. We were camped out for the night, and he goes to take a piss. When he returns he finds that two snakes, that thankfully weren't venomous, had snuck into his sleeping back. The screams, oh my god, you'd have thought he'd been shot!"

"But one of those snakes had got me by MY snake! Just because they aren't venomous doesn't mean that they don't hurt! That's why I screamed like that." Toad said, a hand sliding down to comfort himself. The entire table at that point at erupted into laughter.

Shade had stayed towards the corner of the room, staying quiet and keeping to himself. After a while, he left for his room. When Roach had returned to their room, he saw Shade, this time crying, curled up in bed on his side. Rather than disturb him, Roach thought it best to leave him be and let him work it out. Roach pulled out his laptop, and put in his earphones. Opening a folder on his desktop, he clicked on a video file.

There was a woman, in her mid twenties, sitting on a bed. She was looking at the camera, and for a second or two, appeared frustrated. Then, she sprang into joy.

"Hey baby! Deanna here! I hope this works, this laptop is a piece of crap when I use it. Anyway, just wanted to let you know that everything is turning out fine! The little one is taking form, the doc says it'll be a while yet till we can find out gender, but here's hoping for a girl! I can't wait to see you after deployment has finished. By then, the little one will almost be ready to come. Call me or email me when you get this. Cya!" The video ended. Roach clicked on another one, this time, a news report.

"A woman and her unborn child were killed today when a semi-trailer truck lost control and slammed into them on the highway at high speed. The driver of the truck had a blood alcohol level of .120, was speeding and had slipped on the steering wheel, causing the truck to swerve and hit the small two door car on the outside lane. He is awaiting trial. The driver of the second car, a woman identified as Deanna Ball, was thrown from the car and killed on impact with the road. Emergency workers declared her dead at the scene. She was 7 months pregnant at the time. This reporter reminds everyone to be safe on the ro..." Roach closed the file, and closed the laptop.

No one knew of her, his only love outside of family. Deanna Ball, a girl from northern England, had won his heart during high school, and had hooked up after Gary had finished basic training and was awaiting assignment. They didn't play to get married, but after Gary left for his second deployment, was informed that he was going to be a father. She would send him video files every month, until his CO had told him that she was killed in a crash. When he returned home, he downloaded the news report video and had kept it in the same folder as her messages.

Whilst it would be considered weird to keep something like the report of a loved one's death on the computer, it served as a reminder to Roach about how precious life is, and how to keep remembering those you hold close to you, even if they are no longer with you in person. It kept Roach sane. Putting the laptop away, Roach turned onto his side and started to sleep. He had a long day, a long week, a long month, a long year and a long life ahead of him.

_The ones we hold close are the ones that matter most. Regardless if they are living or not, we love them, and remember them. And that is why we fight. Not for land, or power, or weapons, but to keep the ones we care about alive. That is all that matters._

_That is all that will ever matter._

* * *

**And with that, Leave Pass concludes. Any reviews would be appreciated. Kinda experimenting with the serious stuff as a lead into a new plot I'm developing. No real teasers yet.**

**Until next time.**


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